Even Batman makes mistakes. Looking back he always seemed this invincible and unstoppable force, miles above the League.

Shaking my head at the thought, I slammed a book closed and watched the dust poofs upward, settling like a thick mucus in my nose. I shoved it onto a pile with what's left of Themysicra's library and scowled. I always believed in a near perfect Batman, so a near perfect Batman is how I've told this story.

I've tried to make the story see as I did: Batman was right and smart and everything and the League was a bunch of overpowered monkeys trying to keep up. But he isn't and they weren't. Realistically you could make an argument for any one of them being the best, it's just easy to romanticize Batman. The human hero in a sea of powers.

But he's nothing to romanticize. Yes, he puts fear into the hearts of stronger man and solves mysteries that most didn't even see but like the best piece of Krypontite, Batman had a problem. The world's greatest detective has felt too much and is afraid of feeling intensely again. So he misses the clues from those who make him feel. He refuses to embrace them, consistently holding people at arm's length and so misses the mysteries they hold. Ironically mysteries that would have been the key. He missed me. More importantly he missed the boys. The biggest boy and the littlest boy. His boys and he missed them.

His family. I suppose that's the word. I'm still not sure what family means and who is family. Is Diana his family? Is Clark? Is Tim? Is Alfred? If so then it would seem that blood doesn't matter and for me to say that blood doesn't matter makes everything I've done that much worse. Because I did it for blood, for my family. For the closest DNA I had left. That's why I'd like to say that blood is family but it seems a disservice to say that Diana, Clark, Tim, Dick, Barbara, and Alfred weren't Bruce's family. It seemed like they were. I don't know. I wish I did.

But Batman missed the clues. The great Batman missed everything that mattered in the grand scheme. Well, I can't decide if Diana mattered in the end. Because I think he snuck her in right under the wire - but if he lost the boys, was it worth it? I'd like to ask him. But he's one of the few not trapped on the island. The Trinity still stands. A last fortress against The Six. Six, of course we're The Six. But the Trinity too will fall. Six versus three. Simple math.

He missed his boys. And Luthor. For Ares' sake why was no-one besides us watching Luthor?

"Battie, Battie, Batman in the house," Flash pounded his hands repeatedly against the Founder's conference table, sending vibrations up Diana's arms, before zipping out of the room and down the hallway.

The conversation between the remaining founders halted, taking time to comprehend the speedster's rushed words. Shayara leaned across the table, raising an eyebrow, "Know anything about this Di?"

I shake my head but rise to my feet, "Only an educated guess."

As I make my way out of the room I hear John's voice floating behind me as the other's get to their feet, "Why would Diana know why Batman's here?"

"How's my favourite archeologist?" Bruce's voice soared down the hallway and rebounded through the high ceilings of Diana's large museum wing.

Diana rolled her eyes with a smile at Cassie; Bruce had given her enough funds to hire an assistant and Wondergirl had jumped on the opportunity to learn more about Amazon heritage, "I'm the only archeologist he's got."

Cassie giggled, repositioning a vase, "I hear you've got him."

"Don't believe everything you read in the papers," Diana brushed her hands on her pants, the rough, stone dust coming off her hands against her blue jeans.

"Sorry," the girl copied her movements, "I shouldn't assume. It's just hard to ignore after a month of being splashed across the front page. I mean I know its Bruce Wayne and you'd never really go for a playboy like him but..." Cassie started wiggling her fingers and dropped into her best announcer voice, "You've seen the titles 'Old Flame Returns to the Wayne Life', 'Playboy Gives it All up for Archeologist', 'When Gotham Ran out of Girls, Wayne Moved On', 'Gotham Biggest Bachelor: Single No More?'."

Diana shrugged, "Bruce's life has always been vastly over dramatized."

Cassie shrugged back and grinned, "All I can say is that your crush on Batman must be huge if you're willing to put up with Wayne simply because he asked you to."

Diana could feel the red rush to her face - sadly being an Amazon Princess didn't give her an immunity to blushing.

The red only increased when Bruce's voice came from right behind her, "A huge crush on Batman," he groaned, "Diana, I cannot believe that you're leading me on. I promise I'm much better than that crazed detective, you'd have to have the patience of Wonder Woman to put up with him."

Cassie sniggered then ducked back into her work at Diana's raised eyebrow.

"Hello Mr. Wayne," Diana turned just in time to see Bruce' s wink. Praying to the goddesses that it was due to Cassie's lack of knowledge about his secret identity and not a reference to the marvellous shade of red decorating her face and neck, "What brings you here?"

It was a legitimate question. Typically when Diana saw Bruce in any sort of Diana Prince setting it was because Kayla was lurking somewhere nearby or because she'd be seeing her shortly. His dedication to his daughter was admirable but it created an unexpected quandary when he showed up in the middle of the day, no Kayla in sight.

"If you have the time," Bruce's eyes had the genuine twinkle in them that Diana would only admit made her stomach flutter when no-one was around to listen, "I'd like to take you out for lunch."

"She's got time," Cassie piped in from the corner, "Batman doesn't seem to be interested."

"My gain," Bruce grabbed her hand and tucked it in his arm before walking the two of them out the door. With a quick set of instructions for Cassie to please not over-brush the frescos again hollered over her shoulder, Diana decided not to bother fighting the situation.

She exhaled deeply when they got outside, "Talk about needing the patience of Wonder Woman. I never even agreed to go to lunch with you."

Bruce patted the hand on his arm, "You're not going to say no to free food."

"Girl still likes to have the chance," Diana countered, trying to figure out what restaurant could possibly be in the direction of the wooded area around the museum.

With a grace more Batman than Wayne, Bruce spun her around so that she was standing in front of him. With her heels, the two stood eye to eye. It was romantic for half second until a Gotham wind whipped past them, making Diana's hair jump into both their faces. Spluttering and grinning, Bruce stumbled back while Diana slipped a hair elastic from her wrist and into a quick ponytail.

"Diana," Bruce tried again from a safe distance, "would you like to go to lunch with me?"

"Why Mr. Wayne," Diana said, "Of course I would. How nice of you to ask." Date 27, not that she was counting.

Bruce rolled his eyes, "No-one would believe me if I said that you had a spark of sass to you."

"Mother says it was even worse when I was younger. Amazon teenagers, you don't want to deal with them." Diana said.

"I can imagine," Bruce said with an expression that Diana couldn't quite decipher, "definite stubbornness issues."

"Like you were any better," Diana teased, "if your daughter is any indication Alfred should have retired years ago. She's made of sass. Don't worry," Diana said at Bruce's frown, "Kayla hasn't been too much trouble, we're having a good time. Just butting heads once in awhile, she spends so much time on that laptop – it cannot be healthy." Diana chuckled, "she's making me feel like a real mom."

The following silence was lengthy even for conversations with Batman. However, it wasn't the usual uncomfortable 'Batman is staring you down so that you can realize how stupid you are' kind of silence but a more amicable 'people who will not admit to being more than friends but are effectively dating and co-raising a child and have a strong relationship' sort of silence.

"You may not be forced to endure us Waynes for much longer anyway," Bruce said at last.

Diana's fingers tightened around his arm, "What?"

"I've hatched out a tracking algorithm from the cave," Bruce explained, "for the laser frequencies that seem to be related to Three."

"From Bane's crime scene," Diana nodded.

"No," Bruce's face went dark, "from a previous encounter. I needed longer lasting isotopes from a wider carbon source with similar genetic components. Regardless, I've got satellites monitoring the immediate area, we should be able to flush them out." Diana could tell that the smile on his faced was forced, "then you can finish this mission and get back to your life."

Something uncomfortable but unidentifiable flicked across Diana's stomach, "Don't hurry on my account Bruce. I'm more than happy to help. I know that you have other cases on your plate as well. Not to mention the League attacks that I know you still haven't dropped despite your official resignation." Bruce blinked. "So you take as much time as you need. In fact," she chuckled, "I'm rather enjoying my time working for the museum, chastising my rebellious fake daughter, and dating The Bruce Wayne."

By the time Diana finished the sentence her head was high and her eyes met Bruce's. Daring him to challenge her or say that she's lying.

"Well," Bruce said, "we appreciate your graciousness." He stepped off the path and pulled a portion of the bushes to side creating a small path, "If you would?"

"Making me traipse through the bushes Bruce," she stepped past him, "most girls aren't so fond of mud and tree branches."

"You're not most girls."

Pushing through a spider web that decisively did not make the great Wonder Woman flinch,

Diana smiled at the sight of the clearing, "I take it back, picnics are always acceptable."

Bruce had gone all out. A little cliché but that somehow added to the charm. The red and white checkered blanket, wicker picnic basket, small clearing in the middle of trees. "The question," Diana said while settling onto the blanket, "is did you cook this yourself?"

Bruce passed her a small wine flute, "I would only cook it myself if I was trying to get rid of you. Alfred's forbidden me from the kitchen due to my propensity for creating charcoal rather than edible items."

"So you're trying to keep me around," Diana said with a smirk.

Bruce shoved half a sandwich in his mouth, "I never said that."

"It was implied."

"Don't know what you're talking about Princess."

"So you're saying that you're not trying to keep me around while implying that you're trying to keep me around" Diana spent years as a child perfecting her mother's accusatory arched eyebrow and it was paying off now, "I didn't think you could get more inconsistent. Tracking algorithms to get rid of me faster and a picnic with food made intentionally not to drive me away."

Bruce fell back against the blanket with a thump, "Are you done analyzing me?"

"Never." Diana smiled and chucked a grape at his head.

He caught it in his mouth, grinning with at her with the green fruit between his teeth.

Diana rolled her eyes and swirled the wine flute, glass cool on her fingers, "You think you're so awesome don't you? The Great Bruce Wayne. Gotham's hero."

"Just trying to keep up with wonderful women like yourself," Bruce sat up beside her, "well educated, beautiful, foreign, passionate about the world. Simple human like me has to rise the occasion, keep up with the big guns."

Diana choked on a grape, "Simple human. Really Bruce?"

He brought a hand up to her back, "Nothing wrong with simple humans." His voice came right by her ear, his breathe heavy on her necks and giving her goosebumps, "Correct me if I'm wrong but genetically, you're just a simple human yourself."

"The simplest," she agreed before he caught her lips in his.

The action was soft and quick, non-invasive. Respectful but the hint of tongue said certainly not chaste. Diana would almost have said that the action was timid.

So, when he pulled back she went after him. Turning, she caught him with a small smile. Diana placed a hand on his chest and matched him with the same soft kiss. She wasn't sure whether the smile she felt was her own or his. It could have been both.

She pulled back slightly and tapped him lightly on the nose, "That's for kissing a Princess without permission."

"And here I thought that I'd lose my head," Bruce's fingers were rough as they ghosted over the top of her hand, "Amazon warrior and all that."

"Too messy," Diana said, "Besides, I couldn't kiss you again without it."

She didn't need super hearing to catch the slight hitch in his breathing.

"Can't argue with that," Bruce said, leaning in.

"DIANA," Wonder Woman recoiled as the call blasted through her head. Her hands scrambled to cover her ears.

Bruce was moving instantly, knocking over the picnic basket, one hand on her warm on her back, the other in the defensive, "Diana," he said, "Diana."

"Communicator," she gasped around the ringing, "I left mine at the museum."

He ripped a small section off his belt buckle and passed it to her, "I'm here," she choked out into the silver square, "turn it off."

The ringing stopped almost immediately, Diana sagged backwards until she hit Bruce's chest.

He wrapped an arm around her waist, "What happened?"

"Remember that high frequency distress signal we developed for people with super hearing?" She muttered, "I think mine might be set a little loud."

"Wonder Woman come in." J'onn's voice came through the communicator.

"This is Batman and Wonder Woman," Bruce said, "that frequency needs adjustment now. Wonder Woman is suffering some unexpected side effects. Didn't someone test it?"

"I apologize," J'onn said, unfazed by getting both heroes on one line, "however, a situation has developed that made it imperative to get your attention. I tried to raise Wonder Woman's communicator but was unsuccessful."

"What's the problem J'onn?" Diana asked.

"There was another bought of attacks," he said.

Diana sat up, "I'll be right there."

Bruce maintained his hold on her waist, "If he's calling they're already over."

"Correct," J'onn said, "however, we've captured a unique prisoner and are in urgent need of a founder's meeting." He paused, "Batman, I would recommend that you attend as well." There was a crashing noise in the background, then, "Shayera is not taking the situation well."

"It seemed business as usual," Lantern was there to greet them as they stepped off the teleporter, "Even when the League attack started, it didn't seem different than any of the other ones we'd faced. Lots of villains, no financial or power target, just direct attack on the League."

Diana nodded to a nearby tech, "Who was the main focus? Flash?"

"No-one so far as we can tell," John said, "we all just assumed that one of the other groups was having the problem."

Batman frowned, "Never assume."

"I know," John said," but easier said than done. So we ward off the attack, manage to send a few back to prison, thinking we've done a good job. The next thing we know the news is flooded with images of a 'rogue Thanagarian' terrorizing the city."

Diana stopped flat forcing Batman to quickly sidestep, "Shy would never."

"She didn't," John said, "it was someone else. Taking advantage of the other attacks."

"Hawkman," Bruce put a hand on Diana's arm to get her moving again. Quickly pulling back before anyone could spot the out of character action.

John shook his head, "We thought so too at first. He's definitely male so we sent a team out based on that assumption. Big mistake. He nearly got away. Shayera had to go in personally and pick him up before he disappeared altogether."

They passed into the lower detention area, alpha access only, "J'onn said she wasn't taking it well?" Diana asked.

John sighed, "As far as we can tell he's a legitimate Thanagarian or at least appears to be physiologically. The wings are part of his anatomy although the initial reports are saying that they're heavily armoured in metal. He was carrying Nth metal. You know there's no lost love between Shayara and her people. Now we've got Luther all over the TV talking about how the League is secretly prioritizing attacks. Secretly in talks for a second invasion. Looking to take over ourselves. Questioning our loyalties. Talking about how he, as president, can fix our broken system." John entered the final passcode, "it's not looking great for us."

The others were standing outside of one of the high security cells.

"Luthor's all hot air," Superman greeted them, "no-one actually believes him."

"Shy," Diana immediately went to her friend while Bruce took off toward the cell.

Shayera was systematically grinding her fist into her mace, "How can they possibly think that after everything, I'd be working against the Earth?"

"Nobody actually thinks that," Diana deftly extracted the mace from her friend, "you know how politicians are. Using the situation to their advantage."

Shayera snatched the mace right back, "You know what I should do? I should pound Luther in his shiny bald head. I've got nothing against Earth as a planet, just people like him."

"Hey come on," Wally zipped over, "it's not nice to discriminate against bald people. I bet Luthor would be crazy even with a full head of hair."

If Shayera had supervision, Flash might have fried.

"Okay then," Flash raised his hands and backed up, "we're not joking about this yet. Don't worry Shy, you'll get there. Just working through the shock."

There was a click as the cell opened and Batman slipped inside.

"Hey," Superman followed, "we don't know how long he'll stay unconscious." The two heroes disappeared into the cell.

"I'm not working through the shock," Shayera slammed her mace against the wall, "I'm not in shock. I want answers."

"We all do," John said, "but tearing down the Watchtower or hitting Luthor isn't going to get us there."

"Says you," Shayera mumbled.

J'onn looked up from the computer screen, "It's possible that Luthor engaged this Thanagarian simply to produce a violent reaction from you before the elections to swing some of the electorate in his direction."

They paused at the thought.

"It may be best," J'onn continued, "to avoid giving him additional fuel."

"Yeah but J," Wally said, "where's Luthor going to get a Thanagarian anyway? They all left after we whupped their butts remember?"

J'onn's eyes were grave, "The potential exists that Luther captured him years ago and has been maintaining him in storage for a beneficial moment." Shayera's mace drooped in her hand as she inhaled sharply.

"What like locked him the basement?" Wally asked.

John put a hand on the small of Shayera's back, "Luthor would call it a prisoner of war."

"Man's world still manages to shock me," Diana said, "but Luthor's actions are more reprehensible than most."

"So it's not his fault!" Wally chirped, "he probably thinks we're still at war. Or he's been brainwashed by Luthor. You just need to explain it to him Shy and it'll be good."

She leaned against John, the others pretending not to notice, "Thanagarians are warriors born. I doubt talking will convince him of anything. More likely he'll believe it's a trick or a trap."

Batman stalked out of the cell, "Founders meeting. Now."

Superman followed, "Batman, what do those numbers mean? Why did you stare at his face like that?"

"Not now!" Batman roared. Then turned to the techs, "I need that DNA analysis immediately." The techs flinched.

The founders stared. Diana's heart froze. Batman never raised his voice like that. There was too much emotion in it. He barked orders certainly but that voice, that was not a controlled order.

"Everyone," Batman continued more softly, "is going to want to sit down."

Wally was uncharacteristically still, Diana noticed in lieu of trying to figure out what Batman was about to tell them. The speedster was constantly fidgeting, tapping his fingers, here and then gone. But today he simply sat in his chair and waited, fingers still on the metal tabletop.

Ten minutes of silence later, Batman slid through the door and locked it behind him, "Omega protocols." The room flashed.

Diana's thumb tapped the table. Omega protocols were the deepest security, ensuring that no-one could hear or record anything said inside the room with alien or human technology.

"Where have you been," Shayera slammed her fists on the table, "first you yell at us to hurry up and sit down and then you disappear and take your time."

Batman sat, watching her coolly, "I assumed you wanted me to be certain before I said anything. I was in the lab completing the DNA tests."

Wally frowned, "I don't know what kind of centrifuge you've got up here Bats, but that should take way longer."

"Not if you're looking for particular markers." Batman said.

"And you just knew what Thanagarian markers would tell you what you needed to know?" Flash shook his head, "even you're not that good. This is alien DNA."

"Not as alien as you'd think."

Diana sighed on the inside. Could the man say nothing straight? It all had to be covered in mystery and shadows. As alien as you'd think could mean not alien at all, only partially alien, familiar, human made.

Shayara seemed to agree, "What does that even mean?"

Batman steepled his fingers, "He's half Thanagarian and half human." Inhales punctured the room.

"What? No," Shayera said, "that's not even possible. Disparate number of chromosomes."

"It's messy," Batman agreed, "with a low chance of survival but the right chromosomes could create a viable offspring with only minor problems." Bruce flicked on a projection and highlighted the captive's wings. "See here," he traced the outer line of the wings, "this is real, the same as Shayera has. Fully attached to the body and nearly fully grown."

"Nearly?" the others sat back and let Shy take point.

"He's physiologically a teenager," Batman confirmed. He then highlighted the metal feather structure. "This however, is not metal armour as the techs originally assumed. It's actually a replacement set of wings. He was never able to grow them beyond the outer skeletal structure as feathers are beyond human DNA. Someone's grafted these onto him to allow flight."

Shayara's face softened momentarily before her muscles clenched, "Who would do something like that?" she growled. "Luthor? A Thanagarian would never mistreat another this way."

"He's too old to be someone Luthor got his hands on during the invasion," Superman cut in, "if he was a product of the invasion he'd only be three years old."

The lightbulb went off in Diana's head, "Bruce said he was physiologically a teenager," she said putting his clues together, "that doesn't mean he actually is. Consider Superboy, he looks twenty but is barely two."

They all looked at Bruce. He cracked a small smile at Diana, "He's about four."

"How could you possibly know that?" John crossed his arms, "that's far before the Thanagarians were even here. Shayera had only just arrived. I think you're just making this up as you go along."

Bruce didn't bother responding. He toggled a few more buttons and an image of the captive's face appeared on the screen.

"Um," Wally said, "what is that supposed to tell us?"

J'onn gestured across the table, "Perhaps it's not supposed to tell us anything."

Green Lantern was paler than Diana thought possible, his eyes fixed on the image of the teenage boy. Diana saw nothing of particular interest in the tan skin and black hair of their captive but John was gripping the edge of the table like it was the only thing grounding him.

His ring started to glow, a faint green aura that enveloped his whole body. Unsteady, it spiked lashes of green energy in and out vibrating. John seemed unaware, floating a few inches off the ground. Hands still firmly caught on the table.

"John," at Shayera's voice The Lantern dropped back into his chair, "who is that? You know him?"

Diana could have sworn Bruce was almost smirking as he said, "I take it you remember?"

"Of course I remember," John said, "You think a man forgets something like that? That it doesn't affect his actions?"

"It changed mine." Bruce said. Diana felt as though the two men were having an overly private conversation.

John nodded, "Yeah, you were a bit of a hardhead." Then his eyes narrowed and he pointed at the image, "But how can he be here. Now? He explicitly indicated family and an egg and I know I didn't miss that."

"History was rewritten," Bruce said.

"But he's still?"

"Yes." The answer was firm.

John sat down. Hard. Ring blinking out.

Shayara was too nonchalant, "If someone doesn't explain what's going on right now, I will hit both of you so hard that Robin, Batgirl, and the other Lanterns will feel it. Even the ones on Oa."

John stared at his hands.

"John, Diana and I chased a thief through time and ended up in the future where we met an alternative version of our captive." Batman said.

Diana blinked, "I did what now?"

"You wouldn't remember," Bruce somehow met her eyes from behind the cowl, "you were erased from the timeline. Either never born or never left Themescira. When we re-altered the timeline you reappeared back here on the Watchtower." Diana stared at him. "If it makes you feel better," Bruce said after a moment, "Everyone else here was dead."

"Except you," John muttered from where his head was resting on the table, "you were a crotchety old man."

"Regardless," Batman cut in, "we know exactly who this is and the DNA results confirm it.'

Shayara clunked her mace on the table, "That's great boys and we're going back to it later. But I want to know who he is and why John is having a heart attack."

John looked at Bruce.

"No way," Batman crossed his arms, "this one is all yours."

John squared himself in his chair, "You're sure."

"Positive."

Lantern's gaze drifted to the image. "He's." The marine consciously loosened his shoulders, "He's my son."

There were exclamations about the room with one vital exception.

John's gaze slid from the image to Shayara, who was silent and suddenly pale under her red hair, "He's our son."

Diana's breathe caught at the statement. Eyes immediately returning to the face on the screen. Once you knew what you were looking for, you could see it. Shayera's eyes. John's jaw. She turned to the rest of the room. Wally was standing as words spilled from his mouth at a mile a minute, incomprehensible. Clark was also speaking, but the words were aimed at Bruce. He was searching for answers. Batman wasn't giving any. Silent under the cowl. J'onn too was silent, subdued with one hand on his chin and the other on the table. Watching the image, likely running his own analysis. John was babbling, the usually stoic marine trying to get out a story about time travel and a boy named Warhawk. And Shayera,

Shayera sat.

Eyes fixed on her mace but unseeing. A thousand worlds away. Any other scenario would have had the Thanagarian smashing her mace about, demanding answers, contradicting statements. Her quiet was disquieting.

Diana rose instinctively, skirting around the table to stand behind Shayara's chair. She laid a hand on Shayera's bare arm, "Shy, say something."

The words were a whisper, "I have a son."

"It would seem so." Diana lightly squeezed.

Shayara nodded once. Eyes still distant while the boys said words that ultimately meant nothing. Diana stayed beside her.

Finally, Shayera's hand inched forward to grip her mace, "He can fly?"

The words stilled the conversation.

"That's your first question?" Wally blurted.

It was Batman who answered, "Yes. Although his human DNA prevented his Thanagarian DNA from producing a full set of wings the metal attachments should provide sufficient lift."

Shayara nodded, "Good."

John was looking at the table. Hard. "He had the same wings when Bruce and I met him."

"So how is he here?" Clark asked, "if he's supposed to be in the future? I don't suppose he gave you a life history?"

John blushed slightly, "An older version of Static mentioned something about 'an egg that size'."

"I don't lay eggs!" Shayera cut in.

"It was a joke at the time," Batman stood, "but it infers that he was born rather than created in lab. It's a moot point anyway, that timeline no longer exists."

Shayera and John were both silent.

"So," Diana put in, "how is he here?"

"He's a scientific experiment." Batman spoke swiftly, "designed by a pre-Cadmus entity as a way to neutralize the Justice League. The program would eventually lead into the Superboy project. They took DNA from metahumans and attempted to create powerchecks for them. This project was attempting to create a stop for Shayera."

"And me." John muttered.

"Not exactly," Bruce frowned, "They knew that your power wasn't genetic. They only used your DNA in the hope that, when they eliminated you, your ring might recognize your offspring as an acceptable bearer."

"It doesn't work like that," Lantern broke in.

"We know that now," Bruce said, "but at the time it was a reasonable assumption. They were playing the odds. They tried a combination of DNA 230 times and only one result was viable through conception and accelerated growth." He gestured to the screen.

J'onn finally spoke, "How could you have those numbers?"

"hey yeah," Wally said, "You seem to know a lot about this Bats. Why didn't you tell us?"

Bruce gritted his teeth, "I was under the impression that everyone from this project, 520 H, was terminated about a year ago. And as to the statistics, he told me himself."

Batman altered the screen, using x-ray and zooming in on a patch of skin on the boys lower left hip. The words were clear.

D - 5

Project 520 H

1* – 1 – 230

"Okay," Superman said, "I see where you got the 230 and the project name. But how did you know what this means? Why did you believe him dead?"

"Because that's what I was told."

"Who cares!" Shayera finally came to life, "Who cares about the how and the why right now. Let's just assume it's because Batman knows everything." Her eyes flashed and her wings quivered, "I have a son. A son. Boom, just like that. And he's not just a son, he's a science experiment. A high level prisoner in our holding cells. A son who hurts people and actively fought against us. A son who was most likely brainwashed by some evil government organization. A son who spent his whole life in some kind of facility. I'm eventually going to have to go down there and talk to him. To the son I've never met. And who knows, maybe he'll come around. Or maybe he'll try to kill me or innocent people. But now I know he's my son. I'll pull my punches. What am I supposed to do with a son? I'm not a parent. I hardly knew my own parents. I can't-"

"SIT DOWN!" Bruce cut her off with a deep bellow, not unkindly. He pulled back the cowl and leaned forward, fists on the table.

Shayera sat.

"You will deal with it," Bruce found her eyes and held them, "you will spend one evening panicking. You will get all of these emotions dealt with or you will shove them away. The same way that any parent handed a newborn has to. You will go down and talk to him. You will be honest but you will be careful. You will not tell him anything compromising and you will be honest about why you can't. You will not trust him. You will have to build that trust. He will have to earn you and so will you. And even when you trust him, you will still spend every day watching for a sign that you were wrong. You will always be watching the skies for the day they try to take him back and they will try. Because he will come around. He'll want to stay with you and they won't want that. But you will protect him, because that's what parents do. You'll do whatever it takes and tell whatever lies you have to. Because you won't trust him, but you'll love him. You'll make it work. That's what I did."

"Having a daughter dropped in your lap from an old flame is a little different than having a science experiment son come busting down your door." John said, "this is a whole new ballgame Bruce."

"No, it's not." He pulled up an image of a second set of markings, similar to the boys, "this is how I know what they say." He zoomed the image out. Diana knew what was coming. The image zoomed out to reveal the whole girl, "and this," Bruce said, "is how I know how you feel."

"Kayla." Wally said, "no way."

"Same group, different project," Bruce said, "she's my failsafe just like he's yours. Although she didn't come busting down my door. She blew up an access port to the BatCave with a pile of TNT. Now go talk to your son."